Today, Europe stands at a critical juncture. Policymakers in Brussels are reconsidering how competition laws are interpreted, enforced, and reshaped. Amid landmark investigations and fines targeting tech giants such as Google, Meta, and Amazon, what will be Europe's next move? Are agriculture, banking, pharmaceuticals, or other major industries poised for new regulatory scrutiny? Can the EU courts reshape enforcement, or will regulatory ambitions face unexpected hurdles?
Hosted by Javier Espinoza, The Brussels Beat delivers insightful conversations with leading European antitrust experts, policymakers, legal analysts, and business leaders. Powered by rigorous investigative journalism and incisive analysis, Javier and his guests delve deep into Europe's evolving approach to monopoly power. This podcast is essential listening for executives, policymakers, legal professionals, and anyone interested in understanding Europe's strategic stance on antitrust issues, exploring the complex intersections of law, politics, and economics shaping the continent's future.
In a wide-ranging conversation, Olivier Guersent—former Director-General for Competition at the European Commission—joins Javier Espinoza, Europe Executive Editor at The Capitol Forum and host of The Brussels Beat, to reflect on decades of leadership in EU public policy.
Together, they explore:
- Guersent’s return to public life following a near-fatal accident in 2010
- His role in forging the EU’s banking union and navigating multiple financial crises
- The challenges and unfinished business of enforcing the Digital Markets Act
- Why Europe must rethink its approach to constant new legislation
- And what it would take for the EU to become a true strategic power—not just a regulatory one
Guersent also shares what policymakers often misunderstand about Big Tech, mergers, and industrial policy—and explains why crisis remains the EU’s default driver of reform.
